Faculty nursing student wins Staff Excellence Award

Sarah Ames, a learning disability nursing student from the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Education, has won the Staff Excellence Award at Whittington Health NHS Trust. Sarah is currently on a third year placement with Haringey Learning Disabilities Partnership.

Sarah was nominated by her sign-off mentor Gwen Moulster who was impressed by her outstanding approach to learning and practice.

Ms Moulster, a consultant Nurse (Learning Disabilities) said “Sarah is professional, intelligent, articulate and extremely hard working, always prepared to go the extra mile. She is an excellent team player, well liked by people who have learning disabilities and family carers and by her colleagues from the multi-professional team.”

Sarah won the award in recognition of a number of achievements that included:

undertaking and delivering an excellent presentation at the Thames Nurse Forum on the future role of the learning disability nurse

creating an evidence database to support a new evidence based care planning process

helping to develop a communication policy for the learning disabilities partnership board

updating an information and training resource on the health needs of people who have learning disabilities for GPs and other health staff.

Sarah is the first student from the Faculty to have a year three placement at the Community Learning Disability Team, Haringey Learning Disabilities Partnership. The team have previously offered practice learning opportunities to three other higher education institutions and the positive impression Sarah has made, has secured placements for future Faculty learning disability nursing students.

Since receiving her award, Sarah has been offered and accepted a community nursing post in the team and will commence her new role in the autumn.